Caster brake



Oct. 19, 1937. J. A. DUDLEY 2,096229 CASTER BRAKE Filed Aug. 3, 1936 'INVENT OR.

Patented Oct. 19, 1937 PATENT CASTER BRAKE John A; VDudley, Detroit, Mich.

Application August 3,

, ClaimS.

This invention relates to caster brakes and the object of the'invention is to provide a brake for a caster in which the brake shoe is pivoted on an axis eccentric to the axis of the caster wheel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a caster brakein'which the brake shoe is pivotally mounted 'in' the caster fork at one side of the axis of the caster wheel and a cam is rotatably mounted in the caster fork and is movable to turn the brake shoe on its pivot'into engagement With the caster wheel. o

A further object of the invention is to provide a caster brake in which the parts may be stamped from sheet metal and may be used to effectively lockfthe wheel from rotation.

Another object of the invention is to provide'a caster brake including a brake shoe. pivotally mounted eccentric to the axis of the caster wheel and a cam engaging the Vbrake shoe ata distance from its axis of rotation, the cam beingrturnable in one direotion to turn the brake shoe on its pivot into engagement with theocaster wheel periphery and being turnable in the opposite directionvto'release the pressure on the brake shoe and allow the casterwheel to rotate. o

A further object of the invention is to provide a brake shoe in the form of an inverted U and a cam member formed of a U-shaped stamping, the ends of the-cam member'engaging the Vsides of the U-shaped brake shoe to provide cam action on both sides of the brake shoe.

Another object of the invention is to provide a caster brake in which the brake shoe extends over the top of the caster wheel and isV arranged so that when the brake is applied the weight of the article supported byl the caster is applied in holding the brake shoe against the caster wheel.I

A further object of the invention is to provide a caster brake in which the brake shoe when ap- 40 plied has a wrapping action upon rotation of the caster wheel in one direotion and a cam prevents turning movement of the brakeshoe upon rotation of the caster wheel in the opposite direotion.

Another object of the invention'is to'provide a caster brake in which the brake may be applied or released with the foot.

These objects and thev several novel features of the invention are hereinafter more fully describedV and claimed and the preferred form of construction by which these objects-are attained is shown in the accompanying drawing in which- Fig. 1 is an elevation of a caster and brake embodying my invention and showing the brake in the released position.

Fig. 2 is a section showing the brake applied.

1936, Serial No. 93,957

Fig. 3 is a section taken' on line 3-`3'o`f Fig. 2.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the caster comprises a spindle i which may be inserted into the leg or other portionof any article tobe supported on the caster; This spindle is secured to a caster fork 2 an'd'this caster fork 2 isprovidedlwith legs 3 having an axle 4 extending between the lower ends thereof as shown in Fig. 2. A caster wheel 5 is rotatably mounted on the axle 4 andv eXten'ds between the legs 3 of thefork 2. The brake shoe 6 is arcuate` in form as shown 'in Figs. 1 and 2 and is provided with a pair of legs 1 which extend over opposite sides of the caster wheel 5 and are pivotally mounted in the respective fork legs 3 on the' pivots 8.' 'These pivots 8' are eocentric to the axis of the caster wheel 5 so that in turning the brake shoe 6 in a counter-clockwi'se direotion on the pivots 8 the brake shoe is rotated into.

engagement with the peripheryv of theV caster wheel 5 and by turning theV brake shoe 6 in a clockwise direotion on the pivots 8 the brake shoe is rotated out of engagement with the caster wheel periphery. o

The 'cam member is formedfrom a sheet metal stamping and comprises a cross member 9 having two legs Ill. Each leg IO terminates in a cam=portion I l and a pivot pinxl 2 extends through the fork legs 3' and through the cam portions of theicam member and the pin |2 is secured in position in the fork legs 3. These cam portions ll engage against the respective edges M of the brake shoe legs l as shownlin Figs. 1, 2Vand 3.

In the position shown in Fig.V 1, the cam member is in the up or released'position allowing the brake shoe 6 to reniain out of:V contact With the caster wheel 5 and allowing the caster to be moved about in the usual manner. By Stepping down on the upper end'of the cam member, the end 9` is depressed from the position shown in Fig. 1 tothat shown in Fig. 2. This causes the cam ends I l to turn the brakeshoe 6 in a counterclockwise direction on the pivots 8 into engagement with the caster wheel and the harder the end of 'the cam member 9 is depressed the tighter the brake shoe 6 is engaged against the caster wheelperiphery. As lng as the parts remainrin the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the caster wheel 5 is held from' rotation. ToV release the brake, it is only necessary to engage the toe beneath the cross-member 'andllift it to the position shown in Fig. 1, at Whichztimathe brake is released and will allow movement of the caster and article it supports freely in any direotion. It it is to be particularly noted that the weight of the supported article is carried through the spincaster wheel periphery-i Atrthe same time,*clock- 'i Wise'rotation ofjthe castergwheel .cannot release the lbrake 6 dueto the'factthatzthe cams I]V hold'f Vthe'brale shoeifi against clockwise rotation; i

i Another feature'of this device isthat wear of Z i dle Land forklegs 3 :and ths whengthe brake isV i i applied as 'shown inrFig. 2'the Weight'is carried Vthrougl'ithe fork legs -3 Vand pivots Brand comes 'J f directly onto"the Vbr'ake'shoe'6; an 'd through-the "shoe ontothe wheel 5 Vso that the' weight of the i. caster Wheel thus'firin'ly holding the caster wheel articleV itself assists in, appling the; brake.

i This will'be more easilyunderstood: fromFig. i if 2 in which it will Vbe noted that as the pani inemi H ber isturned in a clockwise'direction' o nfit's piot I2'thebrake shoe Bipre'ssed into tight,engage-' V ment with'the caster wheel 5 thus tendingto raise the pivots 8 vso thatV the weight of thearticl sup;

;ported by the caster .is applied'directly through 1 the fork legs 3, pivots"8;and'1eg s`l to the brake shoe 6 so that inV effect thefweightof theV article' *supported by the caster comes directly ontoV theV brake shoe 6 and through the brake shoe onto the from rotation.

" derstoo'd from Fig. 2 is that counter-clockwise roi 'ping action of the brake shoe Band due to the pivtation of the caster Wheel .5 will produc'e a Wrapots V87V being eccentric'tof thefaxlej this 'will' increase the binding'action of'the brake shoe on'the theparts will notepreveent theebrakefrom being api piied; :This is :enie ,tethe faetthat shouidtheaxie 4 wear'the casterffork will move downwardly thus bringing'the brakeeshoe 6 closerto the caster; whee1.: Also, bythe shapeof .thev cam ends'l Igo'f v v'thecam member, this carn member may be turned' tofa .greater or'less extent to Vtassure proper application oftheebrakefi VThe caster fork Iland legs 3 ma;r beeformred from a substantially U-shaped metal stamping While the brakehoe V6 and legs 'I mayalso berformed from a substantially U shaped metal stamping and the camimembericomi prising the cross member 9 and legs il Ois also substantially U-shaped in form and may bestampe'd out. i z

This results in cheapne'ss of;nianiifactifiie,and, w

at the same time, the leverage applied byfthe cam member to the brake shoe is applied on bothsides of theb'rakeshoe above its pivotginsuring a firm and strongapplication of the brake iniwhich the pressureisV applied evenly to both' sides of the .brake shoe 6.V V'Another important Vfeature of this invention is that theV brake may beV applied or released with one foot soithatj it not-necessary 55 'i ply or release'the brake.V r i j Fromthe foregoing description itbecomes evidentthatV the device isvery simple and' efiicient inV operation, is composed of few parts and is of consequent'low'manufacturing vcost,inay bezrea'dly o. locked or unlocked by the operator with the usen e of 'one foot and provides a 'device whichf accom- 'to bend'overor get down close to the caster to ap-v V ,phshestheobjectsfdeseribed.

Having ithus fully described-myinvention, itsl utility and modefof operation, what I claim and. Vdesire to 'secure VStates'is-V jL i 1. -In a caster,

i caster Wheel rotatably mount'ed between the legs V70 of the fork, a brakeshoe having a pair of legs ex-` tending on opposit'e sides of the caster wheel, each Another feature of this device that W111V be: 1mi enrgagement' with the caster wheel. na

4; In a'caster, a fork having'a pair of ,leg's,V a

caster wheel rotatably mounted between the' legs Vei'ctending on oppoite :sidesjof the caster' wheel and pivotally mountedV in the l'egs of the fork'adarfork having a pair of legsaV shaped Vend pivotallye connected to; Vthe respective Vleg of 'th'e fork and riding in' engagement 'with i:

the respective leg of the brake shoe, the cam meinber being' iarrange'd `Vupon :turning 'movement on' its pivot in one direction to turn the brake shoe' on'v itsfpivot into engagement with the top side-of the z 72. Ina'c'astena fork having a pair of leg's, .a

caster Wheel rotatably mounted between the ends `of `the1 fork rlegs, 'a brake shoe having a' pair' of;V i -legs -extendingon opposite Vsides. of the caster wheel, each leg .of the brake'shoe being pivotall i mouhted on the respective leg of theffo'rkeccentrifcV i to'the axis of thecasterwheel, a double cammemg ber pivotally-1mounted betweenthe legs of {theV casterifo'rk above the pivot for the brakeshoe legs and'engaginlg'thebrake shoe l'egs whereby tiirningV movement' of the double cam member infone 7di-V rection will't'urn' the brake shoe on its pivot into 'engageme'nt with: the; naster Wheel and tnrnjV ng mov'eme'nt of thedoublefcam'memberinithe opposite Vdirection will' release the' pressure'r'on 'the brake shoe, the double cam member being prg'i-V lvi'ded. With an v'extending.'pedal porti on wher'eby: i the double cam 'member ma bie turned in 'either q' direction 7 3.]In acaster,la forkhaving a pair'f legsfa caster wheel rotatablyV mounted between the le'gs lcaster wheel andthe transversefportion of thef o f cam member providing an extendinpedal for operation of'the cami i of the fork; a brake 'shoe having' a pair of extend' axis of the caster wheeLa cam member having a pair ofllegs pivotally mounted between-the legs'of i 'ing1egs, the' legs of the brake shoebelingpivotally ;i lmountedin the legs' of theefork at one side'ro'f the f the fork,each leg of the cam .member being pro- Vvided'withfa` cam shaped end engagingthe respec tive leg of the brake shoe; the arrangement'being i such that as the cam ;member is turned on its ais the cams turn the brake shoe on its'pivot int 0 i ofthefork, a brake' shoe having a pair lof 'legs 'jacent' to the aXis of the casterwheeL aV cam niem; i

ber engaging the 'brake'r'sho'e and turnable in one 5 drection to turn the brake shoe' on its pivot into engagement with the caster wheel and turnable in 7 Vthe'opposite direction toereleaseithe brake shoe. i V51 In a caster,`a forkV having'a pairrof legs, s

a caster wheel rotatablyV mounted between: the

legs of the fork,e a`b1 fakeV shoe 'extendin'g over the coV top side of'the caster wheel and havinga pair of 1egs1extending on opposite sides of the caster wheel and pivotally'mountedinthelegs of the fork e'eeentrie 'to the V:nas of the'caster wheel, a. cam; f member engagingthe'brakeshoef and turnable in..

i i i one direction tol tu'rn thegbrak'e shoe on its pivrotV i into engagementwith theperipher'of the caster' wheel'over'its axis, the brake'shoe being rotatable i With the caster wheel toa limited'extent to prol i i i o w JOHN AL' DUDLEY. i

duce a wrapping action. f 

